According to the structure and bonding ratios of macromolecules, polymers can be divided into the material groups of elastomers, thermoplastics and thermosets. A further material group comprises the thermoplastic elastomers. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are polymers which have the use properties of elastomers and the processing properties of thermoplastics.
Thermoplastic elastomers based on mixtures of diene rubbers and polyolefins in general are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,210, U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,535, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,628. These are used primarily for applications at temperatures below 120° C.
DE 10 2008 038 280 A1 and DE 10 2008 012 516 A1 disclose crosslinkable compositions based on at least one copolymer as thermoplastic elastomer and α-olefin-vinyl acetate copolymers with a vinyl acetate content of ≥40% by weight, where the compositions comprise a peroxide as crosslinking initiator.
EP 0 337 976 B1 and EP 0 965 607 B1 describe thermoplastic elastomer compositions based on a thermoplastic polyester resin and a dynamically vulcanized, covalently crosslinked acrylate rubber, and a process for producing a vulcanized blend.
EP 1 672 027 B1 shows a thermoplastic elastomer composition of a polyamide-based polymer and an acrylate rubber or a nitrile-copolymerized conjugated diene rubber. The production takes place by mixing in the rubber into the polyamide-based polymer and subsequent dynamic crosslinking of the rubber.
EP 0 594 854 B1 relates to a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising thermoplastic copolyester elastomer or thermoplastic copolyamide elastomer and methacrylate or acrylate copolymer rubber which comprises an epoxy group, and methacrylate or acrylate copolymer rubber which comprises a carboxyl group.
EP 2 325 249 A1 claims a thermoplastic elastomer composition which comprises at least one thermoplastic elastomer, with the exception of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and at least one filler from the group of silicas, precipitated silicates or carbon blacks.
A disadvantage of the thermoplastic elastomer compositions described above is that these frequently have an inadequate stability at high temperatures and in most cases an inadequate oil resistance.